Trapping a melanurus wrasse

[Sugar Magnolia]

It's time to evict my melanurus. It's gotten much too big to be comfortable in my 40 breeder and it's just too destructive to my CUC.

Bottle trap? If so, what size bottle would be best? This fish is about 4" and is very fat.

Thanks!

 

[evolved]

Bottle trap would be my suggestion. You can always cut the opening larger if the bottle neck is too small.

 

[triggreef]

I used a home made trap with a sliding door. Took 2 weeks before he would go near it. Trapped a bunch of the other wrasses & tangs prior to getting the melanuris. Maybe a hook might be better.

 

[aquaph8]

I've always had good luck catching Halichoeres wrasses with my sliding door trap. They tend to be Piggies when it comes to food so they can't help but swim right in.

 

[Megatrev62]

I just caught a 4 line wrasse that was beating up on a lubbocks. I used a 2 liter plastic bottle. Took about 2 hours but it worked like a charm. I was amazed. The 4 line was interested in the bottle as soon as I but it in. Put some pellet food on the bottom and it figured it out. Then bingo!!! Incidently it was the only fish interested in it. Got very lucky.

 

[Chad Vossen]

Get an icefishing hook, remove the lead weight and barb. bait it with mysis shrimp and you'll have that wrasse out in 5 seconds.

Wrasses are greedy and dumb. It'll be so fun, you might throw him back to catch him again!

 

[WayneL333]

If you can find a local reefer or can buy the Aquamedic fish trap, I would highly recommend it. I have a couple of traps and really like the aquamedic because of the large opening. I would starve the fish for a few days, then use the trap and feed inside the trap.

The only thing I dislike about the trap is that most of it is made of plastic. The door and bottom plate are made of glass though, which is good because it makes the door nice and heavy.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

I was hoping to avoid buying a fish trap. I had luck trapping a wrasse years ago with the bottle trap after several days of frustration trying the unbarbed fish hook.

This guy is extremely smart, if the bottle trap doesn't work for it, I'll buy the trap and give that a go.

Thanks for the feedback folks!

 

[brett7768]

i have trapped mine using a clear plastic specimen container. Rubberband some sea weed to a rock and put it in the container. he goes in for it every time

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

I'm going to have to either use a large Gatoraid bottle or a 1 liter bottle. This fish is fat and fast.

 

[Guygettnby]

i simply cought mine with a fish net.

mine went to bed at the same time every night. so i waited until he went to bed and made sure to watch where he went in to the sand. with the lights out i put the net over the sand where he was and gently ran my fingers under the sand. he popped out of the sand and swam right in to the net.

 

[Megatrev62]

i simply cought mine with a fish net.

mine went to bed at the same time every night. so i waited until he went to bed and made sure to watch where he went in to the sand. with the lights out i put the net over the sand where he was and gently ran my fingers under the sand. he popped out of the sand and swam right in to the net.

That's cool and smart. Sugar the bottle trick really works, did you give it a try?

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

i simply cought mine with a fish net.

mine went to bed at the same time every night. so i waited until he went to bed and made sure to watch where he went in to the sand. with the lights out i put the net over the sand where he was and gently ran my fingers under the sand. he popped out of the sand and swam right in to the net.

I've yet to see where it dives into the sand at night. Sounds like a super easy way to snag it too.

That's cool and smart. Sugar the bottle trick really works, did you give it a try?

Not yet. I have to secure a home for the fish before I pull it out. I have nowhere to house it until I can find a local reefer that wants it.